Moderate Alcohol Consumption and Hearing Loss: A Protective Effect

<jats:p><jats:bold>OBJECTIVE</jats:bold>: To determine if moderate alcohol consumption is associated inversely with hearing loss in a large population based study of older adults.</jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>DESIGN</jats:bold>: Cross‐sectional population based cohort study. Data are from the 1993–1995 examinations for the population based Epidemiology of Hearing Loss Study (EHLS) (n = 3571) and the Beaver Dam Eye Study (BDES) (n = 3722).</jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>SETTING</jats:bold>: Midwestern community of Beaver Dam, Wisconsin.</jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>PARTICIPANTS</jats:bold>: Residents of Beaver Dam aged 43 to 84 in 1987–1988 were eligible for the BDES (examinations in 1988–1990 and 1993–1995). During 1993–1995, this same cohort was eligible to participate in the baseline examination for the EHLS.</jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>MEASUREMENTS</jats:bold>: Hearing thresholds were measured by pure tone air and bone conduction audiometry (250–8000 Hz.). History of alcohol consumption in the past year, heavy drinking (ever), medical history, occupation, noise exposure, and other lifestyle factors were ascertained by a questionnaire that was administered as an interview.</jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>RESULTS</jats:bold>: In multiple logistic regression analyses controlling for potential confounders, moderate alcohol consumption (>140 grams/week) was inversely associated with hearing loss (PTA<jats:sub>.5,1,2,4 >25 dB HL;</jats:sub> odds ratio [OR] = .71, 95% confidence interval [CI] = .52, .97; where PTA is pure tone average). A similar association was found for moderate hearing loss (PTA<jats:sub>.5,1,2,4 >40 dB HL</jats:sub>; OR = 0.49, 95% CI = 0.32, 0.74). Alcohol consumption was associated inversely with the odds of having a low frequency hearing loss (OR = 0.61) or a high frequency hearing loss (OR = 0.60). These findings did not vary significantly by age or gender. There was an increase in the odds of having a high frequency hearing loss (OR = 1.35, 95% CI = 1.04, 1.75), in those with a history of heavy drinking (≥4 drinks/day). Including cardiovascular disease or its related factors did not significantly attenuate the protective effect.</jats:p><jats:p><jats:bold>CONCLUSIONS</jats:bold>: There is evidence of a modest protective association of alcohol consumption and hearing loss in these cross‐sectional data. This finding is in agreement with a small body of evidence suggesting that hearing loss is not an inevitable component of the aging process.</jats:p>